Ciesla receives accreditation

Designed to increase professionalism

SOUTHBRIDGE — The Massachusetts Fire Service Commission has announced it has granted accreditation to Fire Chief Richard Ciesla of the Southbridge Fire Department on Feb. 16.

"It's a process to get fire chiefs more professional, I guess you could say," said Ciesla. "It's really to get everyone's standards up. It's a combination of training, education and experience to get this."

The program came to be when the Fire Chiefs of Massachusetts stated their desire to enhance the professionalism of fire chiefs throughout the state.

Sixteen chiefs received the new credentials at a meeting of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts on Dec. 15, 2010.

"It is not the intent of the Fire Service Commission to set standards or qualifications for an individual to hold the designation of a Massachusetts Fire Chief," said Service Chairman David Butler. "It is to establish credentials based on education, training and experience criteria relevant to serving as a fire chief."

For more on this story, please see tomorrow's Southbridge Evening News.